RDR2 Weapons Tier List

These weapons are reliable, powerful, and excel in nearly every combat scenario.

Lancaster Repeater
Reliable, fast reload, high rate of fire. The best all-around repeater.

Lemat Revolver
9-round capacity and an underbarrel shotgun. Versatile and deadly.

Carcano Rifle
Perfect for long-range kills. Extremely accurate with high damage.
This rifle can be acquired for free during the missions "The Delights of Van Horn" and "Goodbye, Dear Friend"; it will also become available from all gunsmiths after completion of the latter. Additionally, it can be obtained early from Squears during the "Go Rustling" companion activity.

Semi-Auto Shotgun
Devastating up close with a fast rate of fire.

These weapons are great choices and just barely fall short of S-tier.

Bolt Action Rifle
Strong for hunting and combat. High damage and range.

Schofield Revolver
Great damage and handling. A solid sidearm.

Pump-Action Shotgun
Powerful and satisfying to use in close quarters.

Navy Revolver (Online)
Classic feel with great stopping power. Not available in Story Mode.

Litchfield Repeater
High damage and large magazine. Great for aggressive repeater users.

Effective in specific cases but may be outclassed later on.

Cattleman Revolver
Arthur’s default weapon. Reliable but basic.

Double-Barreled Shotgun
Good power, slow reload. More for style and intimidation.

Springfield Rifle
Strong damage but slow rate of fire. Best for hunting large animals.

Rare Shotgun
Looks cool but performs similar to the Double-Barreled.

Double Action Revolver
Fastest fire rate among revolvers. Good for hip-fire spam, weak at range.

M1899 Pistol
High fire rate and sleek design, but lacks real stopping power.

Carbine Repeater
Accurate and well-rounded early repeater. Gets replaced quickly by better options.

These weapons are either outdated or have major drawbacks.

Repeating Shotgun
Sluggish reload, lower damage than it should have.

Sawed-Off Shotgun
Very short range, limited use. Best used as a backup.

Mauser Pistol
Fast fire rate, but low damage and awkward recoil.

Volcanic Pistol
High damage per shot, but extremely slow reload and poor handling.

• Visit gunsmiths to customize and upgrade your weapons.
• Keep your weapons clean for max performance.
• Stock up on high-velocity or express ammo for more damage.
• Dual wield revolvers for close/mid-range combat versatility.
• Use the right weapon for the right situation — sniping, close combat, or crowd control.

While every weapon has its place, some are simply more effective across the board. Mastering a few key guns will make life in the wild west a lot easier. The Lancaster Repeater, Carcano Rifle, and Lemat Revolver are weapons you should aim to keep on you at all times. Still, don't sleep on the Litchfield or Schofield — they'll serve you just as well in capable hands. you at all times.